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August 9, 2017

Four months of Fleur de St. Louis + Goals for this school year

Bonjour readers, and happy Wednesday! I hope you have had a beautiful week so far. My week has been incredibly busy, but I have been finding moments to relax and enjoy whether that be sitting down with a good book, playing with my watercolors, or enjoying French Week on the Simply Luxurious Life! (I mentioned this a few posts back if you are interested in learning more.)It dawned on me a few days ago that I had completely missed celebrating three months on Fleur de St. Louis. The end of June found Tony and me enjoying Parisian summer days and getting engaged! It's no wonder that post slipped my mind as I was taking in every moment of some of life's most beautiful experiences. As the school year fast approaches, I want to take some time to reflect on where Fleur de St. Louis is now (4 months in) and share some of my goals for this school year. July was a slower month here on the blog as we spent the first half of the month on our European adventure and the second half of the month transitioning back into our every day lives in St. Louis. While I posted fewer times than I would have liked in the month of July, I feel it was a month of quality over quantity. Some of my favorite posts yet came in July. It was a true joy to share our engagement story, keeping those memories fresh for a lifetime. I opened up about a personal growth journey in my perfection post, and really enjoyed exploring personal style below the surface. A few exciting milestones: I was tickled to have my Nathaniel Reid post featured on their Facebook page, and this morning I woke up to Sézane sharing my photo and account on their Instagram page. I love spreading the love of my favorite things here on the blog, and when they give that love back it means more to me than I can express. Fleur de St. Louis is about building a community for those pursuing their passions and it is incredibly exciting to feel that community growing more every day. As a new school year begins, I have been thinking a lot about the shift from summer and what that looks like for my life and my goals. As I mentioned in my fiftieth post, "I'm never bored now - so many ideas, and they keep coming!" I will be honest in saying that this is both energizing and overwhelming. Sometimes I struggle to keep up with the momentum of my mind, so I always make a conscious effort to pause and reflect on how to maintain the fire of my passions while also finding balance in the every day. Here are a few of my goals for doing just that this year: Be purposeful about setting aside time for myself from day one. Whether it's a podcast and power walk after work to wind down into my evening (The Simple Sophisticate and What Should I Read Next? are my favorites), a yoga class, or time to sit and read/write at my one of my favorite coffee shops, I know scheduling "me" time into my week is something that really helps me feel balanced. This year I want to make sure to commit to these things when I say I am going to. That will mean pausing the grading or taking a homework break even when I'm not at a point of completion. One thing I've learned is that what truly needs to get done will aways get done, and taking these breaks only improves my outlook and productivity. Prioritize goals to meet my needs in the moment. Teaching. Blogging. Finishing my BA in French. Pursuing my art and potentially opening an Esty shop. There is a lot that I want to explore and accomplish, but they don't all need to happen right now. Giving my best to my students is always my number one priority. Beyond that, I plan to pursue my passions by focusing on my French studies and blogging when I can, understanding the posts may not come out as often as I'd like. I know that in this moment, the art and Etsy shop have to be put on hold. I want to make sure when I go for it I can put my best into it, and I know that now is not the moment. It's OK to hold some things for later. It's exciting to know I have projects to look forward to. Continue to dream. "What if...?"I recently made a page in my bullet journal with this title, and it's been so fun to write down my dreams, even the implausible ones. I believe it is our dreams that keep us inspired, that keep us propelling forward and striving to live our best lives. In the midst of everything, I never want to lose sight of dreaming as you never know what might just materialize.

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I chose this photo of me at the Jardin du Palais Royal specifically for this post. I'm standing on one of the iconic black and white striped Colonnes de Buren. Obviously the one I chose to stand on was pretty easy to conquer, but not the easiest. There were shorter columns, but also much taller columns. That said, it is possible to stand on any one of these columns. Some just might require a little more work, involving climbing or a lift from somebody. I think life goals and dreams work in a similar way. Some come easily with little effort. Others take time, hard work, and maybe even a little assistance. None are impossible to achieve. I am so looking forward to more adventures with Fleur de St. Louis and another successful school year. I've got a few "columns to climb" but I know if I keep my mind to it, eventually I will be "standing on top" and realizing my dreams.

Warmest wishes from me to you as you set goals and pursue your passions.

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Fleur de St. Louis

Enchanté!

Bonjour, I'm Lauren, the fleur in Fleur de St. Louis. My mission here at Fleur de St. Louis is to pursue my passions and allow them to flourish.
The FdSTL logo symbolizes my St. Louis roots, and the way those roots are joining with my passions as I move in the direction of my dreams.
My hope is that through this community, your passions will flourish as well. Warm wishes from me to you, and bienvenue to the blog!

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